Six years after calling it quits, the Jonas Brothers reunited for their fifth studio album and first new LP in a decade, 2019’s Happiness Begins, producing the first No. 1 of their career, “Sucker.” It was a remarkable success from a boy band of brothers learning to expertly navigate adult life post-Disney Channel. But the question then became: Could the trio sustain interest once the novelty of the reunion wore off? On their sixth studio album, simply titled The Album, the answer is yes. Now exploring themes of fatherhood (“Little Bird”), mature love (“Walls”), and nostalgia (“Waffle House”), all through the adult-contemporary Laurel Canyon-inspired sounds that inform those big life questions (“Montana Sky”), the JoBros have grown wiser and bolder. Read on to learn more about select tracks from The Album in the Jonas Brothers’ own words. “Miracle” Nick Jonas: “This was the first song we recorded with Jon Bellion, who we are big fans of, huge, and wanted to work with for a long time. He basically came into the studio and we just hung out first, which was kind of foreign for us. We're used to diving right into a songwriting session, but Jon wanted to meet and just talk and get to know each other. It allowed us to set the stage for what we wanted to talk about on this album, and where we wanted to go musically, which is tapping into our influences from the ’70s and early ’80s that our dad raised us on, and enter this new chapter. It's fitting that the first song we did was one that he played us and we all flipped out on and just said, 'Yeah, we have to record that right away.'” “Wings” Nick: “We found out Haley Lu Richardson [of White Lotus fame] is a big fan. We called her up and said, ‘Hey, do you want to come be in our music video, bring a bunch of friends out to Vegas and come to the show?’ She shot the music video with her friends in a hotel suite and then came to the show and she absolutely crushed it.” Kevin Jonas: “She actually brought the tie that she wore to her first-ever meet and greet that she wanted you to sign. She wears it in the video.” “Sail Away” Nick: “This has become one of my favorites to play live. We're traveling now with a choir. So many of these songs kind of require it.” Kevin: “The first song we recorded [for The Album] was ‘Montana Sky,’ right? The second one was ‘Sail Away,’ and it actually went through over 20 different iterations until we got it right. That shows the difference in albums and how things can happen: You record something so early and the songs kind of have a journey that they go on themselves, and as you write, as you continue to record and produce, it's interesting to see it all evolve over time.” “Americana” Nick: “It's about inclusion. It's about the influences that we have in our music, but also I think culturally significant American influences. There is so much negativity out there and so much darkness. There's a cloud of darkness in the world in general. In this song, we really want to spotlight what makes up this beautiful melting pot that is the US and America. 'Americana' is not about a person or a specific thing, but really an idea that there's good in all of us and the collective makes us who we are.” “Waffle House” Joe Jonas: “When we were younger, growing up touring, we weren't old enough to go and get a pint after the shows with our mates or band to celebrate such an exciting experience. What we ended up doing was finding the only place open, and typically they were Waffle Houses, or TGI Fridays or Fuddruckers, if you're in the Northeast, places like that, or IHOPs. Waffle House was just the one that kind of was the catchiest for this tune, and we have always felt really comfortable in that setting. It's become a safe place for us where we fight, laugh, cry, and now we can share it with the world.” “Vacation Eyes” Kevin: “I've always wanted to write a song called 'Vacation Eyes' because I met my beautiful wife Danielle on vacation in the Bahamas. We had just moved to Los Angeles. She was still living in New Jersey at the time, and we all met there. We have been what it feels like on a vacation together ever since.” “Summer in the Hamptons” Nick: “We have all at different points spent some time in the Hamptons, which is sort of an oasis here in the Northeast where there is just a magic in the air. I don't know how to describe it, but I've had two trips there and both were absolutely incredible. That warm summer breeze in the air, you got a tequila in your hand... This song kind of continues that journey.” “Summer Baby” Nick: “This has quickly become my favorite song on the album. I think it's kind of that perfect summertime driving-with-the-top-down vibe. A big inspiration for the album as a whole was to do something similar to Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour. Listen, she obviously won Album of the Year for that, so it was beloved by many people. Our hope was to set out to do something similar to that.” “Little Bird” Nick: “‘Little Bird’ obviously is about a theme that we've never spoken about in our music, and that is fatherhood. We're all girl dads. That's pretty awesome.” Kevin: “This song is just too special. It's the first song we ever wrote about this kind of experience, so I think that's why when we say you're meeting us where we are today with this album, this is the testament to that. I've been [a dad] for a little longer than you guys, but I enjoy that we're all doing it together now.” “Walls” (feat. Jon Bellion) Nick:“This is the only feature on the album, and so it had to be Jon. It's become my favorite song to play live.” Joe: “There's really nowhere to go after this song. This is meant for the lights-out, good-night moment onstage and on the album. So it's perfect.”
Music Videos
Audio Extras
- The band on ‘The Album.'
- Dan + Shay
- Niall Horan
- Kelsea Ballerini